Overheard in the gym:

Tom: What's Your Excuse?
Al: What do you mean: "What's my excuse?"
Tom: What IS your excuse for your gut being bigger than your chest?
Al: I'm just getting old, that's all. Besides, that is just the way I'm made.
Tom: Look, I've known you since we were Privates together. You have never been a muscle body builder. But, you have never had a big gut either. You were even overweight for awhile. But, that was all over. Now you got a gut. Why?
Al: You want me to look like those scarecrow bike racers?
Tom: No, no. They are nuts. Look in the mirror friend. You didn't need me to tell you.


As I moved on to the squat rack I decided to take a look at my gut. Us old folks have to set good examples for the "kids".

I lost my gut through dietary changes but I have to admit now I look like one of those scarecrow like bike racers. Pros and cons for everything.

No problem I dont do the expensive gymnasium Peer group dissing thing, like I was still in school and just hitting puberty.

People ascend or descend to their level of expectations.

The minute you start making excuses for yourself (the gut is OK, since every middle aged person has one), you can pretty much guarantee you'll have a gut. The minute you stop making excuses for yourself, you can pretty much guarantee you'll lose it.

There is no question that we're all gonna get old and die. No sense in accelerating it along. And it's not just about how you look or living longer. It feels better to be in shape.

As far as looking rail-thin ... that will never be me. My body type won't do that, and I love food too much. But it does remind me of this ... I love the way this guy draws caricatures of us.

Excuses are the tools of the incompetent. I watch what I eat keep working out and weigh myself every day. Simple but not always easy. I try to make no concessions to age.

Yes, I had a gut when I was @ 180 lb. but now I'm down to 155 and it's (pretty much) gone away. I could still stand to lose maybe 5 lb. more with the hope that it would make me a better (faster) climber . . . but I'm lacking motivation, honestly. Seem to be "okay" with 155.

I'll be riding the Karen Climb-Fest on Saturday (probably 100 mi. with 10,000+ feet of climbing) so maybe that will serve to ignite my motivation to lose a few more pounds! . . . before riding the Devil Mountain double on the 25th of this month.

Rick / OCRR

Sweet, Rick. I'll see you there!

I presume you're adding the ski-lift carnage to the mix?

I agree with the sentiments. Interestingly, back when there was a purpose for life insurance I applied for a policy. One of the key elements of the physical was weight, but with a twist. I could not be underweight at all but could be a bit overweight depending on factors like body type. It seemed their analysts had determined that being underweight was a greater risk to longevity than overweight, not obesity, which was a disqualification.

I agree with TCR with an added admonition. Whether I like it or not people use me as an example. It shapes their attitudes and conduct. I'm confident most of you are in the same position. I owe it not only to myself, but to them to be all I can be(to quote a famous saying). Of course it doesn't hurt the ego one bit for someone wanting to fix me up with their mother!

A bit of added info I've discovered. It seems relationship of abdomen diameter to chest diameter is a key factor in health. Lacking trauma or other similar cause chest should always be as large as or bigger than the abdomen regardless of gender.

Yes Vic, Ski-Lifts for sure, what you so glibbly call "carnage." See how you can artfully condense an hour of extreme suffering into one word .

But yes, I need the Ski-Lift climb for Sierra Road training. My theory is: Take my legs when they are really tired, have lots of miles and feet of climbing on them already . . . then ride the Ski-Lift climb (2,200 ft. in 4.6 miles) as effective training.

As you know (but some of our readers here may not), we hit Sierra Road with 150 miles and 15,000 feet of climbing on our legs. I want to be as ready for that as possible. Also, interesting note, on the Quack site it says the Sierra Road climb is 3.2 miles long. Dang , I would have sworn it was at least twice that long!

So, that being the case, Sierra is actually shorter than the Ski-Lift climb. Last Sat. I hit the Ski-Lift climb with 62 miles and 6,000 feet of climbing on my legs . . . and it was brutal (no surprise, right?). That was my 3rd Ski-Lift climb in 2015. My goal is to be so much more ready for DMD after having experienced it once (an educational experience!).

I will send warm clothes to both Pet the Goat and the final (Sunol) checkpoint. Oh, and use full shoe covers for Mt. Diablo too.

Also, at first, Peg Miller ("Just give me a bullet, please.") said she wouldn't be riding DMD this year but now she says she is; so that's all good too .

Rick / OCRR

You know, I actually don't fear Sierra Road at all. Yea, it's steep and long. But it's terraced, so while you might be going up a 16% grade for 100 yards or so, soon enough, it slackens off to 7% or so, and you can catch your breath.

The ski lifts climb? It does NOT let up. Even the flippin switchbacks. Usually switchbacks are steep around the curve, then flatten out inbetween. Not the ski lifts ... those suckers just keep putting on the hurt! Ooof.

What can I say Vic? I'm the opposite: I can handle the Ski-Lifts but I fear Sierra road. I don't recall any "terraced" bits . . . must have been the short times when I sat on the saddle instead of standing my pedals (which, I recall, was most of the climb). That said, it was dark when I climbed Sierra so maybe it would have been mentally easier if I cound have seen it better.

Plus, there are two places where the Ski-Lift climb does let up. Once about 3 miles up and then there's an actual descent (after Missy's cabin) just below the campgrounds (Mangor Flats?).

You know, this really does sound like an example of "better the devil you know than the devil you don't."

So yes, ask me what I think of Sierra Road after the 2015 DMD. My opinion may have changed.

Rick / OCRR

Excuse? No excuse. I'm on the party now pay later plan. Only now it's later!

I lift enough that my gut isn't bigger than my chest, although it is bigger than I want it to be. I'm on what I hope to be the final push to get down to where I'm willing to put my backside on a carbon ride.

When I get there I'll be down around 70ish lbs from my heaviest.

Beer. My excuse is beer. But I'd probably give the stink-eye and mutter something about gym rats if someone was needling me.

There's definitely too many pregnant men in the US, and many of them are seemingly beyond term with triplets.

The excuses were many. My favorite was "it's too bloody dangerous to ride a bike around here". That happens to be true... but life is sure a lot more fun at 13% body fat instead of 25. I wish we'd pave our roads a little wider.

Now, if we still have these kinds of threads/posts late August.....